Vehicle-wheels.



ATENT Fries.

WILLIAM F. THOMAS, OF BURLINGTON, IOWA.

VEHICLE-WHEEL.

S?ECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 641,736, dated January23, 1900.

Application filed July 10,1899. Serial No. 723,360. (No model.) V

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Burlington, in the county of Des Moines and State of Iowa,have invented va new and useful Vehicle-Wheel, of which the followingisa speciiication.

The invention relates to improvements in vehicle-wheels.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofvehicle-wheels and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive onecapable of enabling its tire to be readily tightened, when desired, toobviate the necessity of upsetting the same and adapted to permit itsspokes to be readily removed and renewed should they become broken orotherwise injured.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional View of a portion of a wheelconstructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a sectionalview taken at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail perspectiveview of the spokeengaging ring. Fig. 4 is a similar view of theexpansible ring. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the inner portion ofthe main section of the hub-casing.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

1 designates a hub provided with a casing receiving a body portion 2 andcomposed of inner and outer sections 3 and 4, detachably securedtogether and receiving the inner ends 5 of the spokes 6 of the wheelbetween them. The outer ends of the spokes are arranged in suitablesockets of telly-sections 7, fitting within a groove formed by sideiianges 8 of' a tire 9 and provided at opposite sides with recesses toreceive the said flanges 8. The inner ends of the spokes are tapered andarranged in an annular series of spaces formed by radially-disposedflanges 10, formed integral wit-h a continuous outwardly-extendingannular flange 11 of the section 3 of the hub casing. The continuousannular iiange 11 is located near the inner end of the main secs tion 3,and the lugs or Iianges 10, which are substantially rectangular, asclearly shown in Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings, extend from theinner face of the annular flange 11. The inner section 4 of thehub-casing is provided at its inner end With an ,interior annular recess12, having interior screw-threads 13 and engaging exterior threads 14 ofan annular flange 15, located at the inner extremity of the main orouter section 3. The section 4 is provided at its inner end with anannular flange 16, arranged parallel with the flange 11 of the section 3and provided With peripheral recesses 17 and adapted to be engaged by asuitable Spanner or other tool, whereby the inner removable section maybe readily screwed on and off the outer or main section.

The inner ends of the spokes, which are clamped between theoutwardlyextending annular flanges 11 and 16 of the sections of thehub-casing, are provided with short `1ongitudinal slots 18, whichreceive pins 19 of a spoke-engaging ring 20, interposed between thespokes and the flange 16 of the removable section 4. The pins, which arearranged in an annular series, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of theaccompanying drawings, support the spokes and increase the strength ofthe hub and at the same time permit a limited longitudinal movementofthe said spokes.

The tire is maintained perfectly'tight by an expanding device consistingof a ring 2l and a screw 22. The ring, which is split, as illustrated inFig. 4 of the accompanying drawings, is provided at the split portionwith inwardly-extending lugs 23, arranged at the terminals of the metalof the ring and having beveled inner faces 24, which are adapted to beengaged by the adjusting-screw 22, and the latter has its inner engagingend tapered, as shown in Fig. 2. The adjusting-screw, which is disposedlongitudinally of the hub, is mounted .in a threaded perforation of' thethreaded annular flange 15 of the main section of the casing, and thesaid flange 15 is provided at the outer end of the threaded perforationwith a recess to receive the head of the screw. The expanding deviceengages the inner end of all the spokes, as clearly illustrated in Fig.1 of the accompanying drawings, and by this construction the tire is IOOmaintained perfectly tight, and the tension may be increased at anytime. The inner faces of the lugs of the expansible ring are arranged atan angle to each other and present a flaring or tapered opening to theengaging end of the screw.

The invention has the following advantages: The wheel, which is simpleand cornparatively inexpensive in construction, is adapted to have itsparts readily assembled. The telly-sections may be easily introducedinto the groove or channel of the tire, and the spokes may be quicklyconnected with the hub and the felly. The expansible ring, which engagesthe inner ends of the spokes,

maintains the tire tight at all times and readily takes up any loosenessof the parts. The inner section of the casing may be readily detached,and it will permit the spokes to be readily removed and renewed whenbroken or otherwise injured. The pins, which are arranged within theslots of the inner ends of the spokes, support the same against lateralmovement and prevent the wheel from getting out of true should the innerends of the spokes be forced outward, so that they do not entirely fillthe space between the radial lugs.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details ofconstruction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of thel advantagesof this invention, such as employing various means for securing the bodyportion of the hub within the casing.

1. A device of the class described comprising a hub, spokes, a spliteXpansible ring engaging the inner ends of the spokes, and an adjustablescrew interposed between the ends of Vthe split ring and adapted toexpand the latter, substantially as described.

2. A device of the class described comprising a hub composed ofseparable sections, spokes interposed between the sections of the hubsand provided with slots, and a removable ring arranged within the huband provided with pins extending into the slots of the spokes,substantially as described.

3. A device of the class described comprising a hub, spokes, and anexpanding device composed of a split ring engaging the inner ends of thespokes and provided with beveled lugs, and a screw engaging the beveledfaces of the lugs and adapted to expand the ring, substantially asdescribed.

4. A device of the class described comprising the main section having anoutwardly-extending annular fiange provided with radial lugs formingspoke-sockets, slotted spokes fitting between the lugs, a ring providedwith pins extending into the slots of the spokes, a removable sectiondetachably secured to the main section and engaging the ring, and anexpanding device, substantially as described.

5. A device of the class described comprising a main section having anoutwardly-extending annular fiange provided with radial lugs, aremovable section having an annular recess, slotted spokes fittingbetween thelugs, a ring interposed between the spokes and the removablesection and provided with pins fitting in the slots, an expansible ringarranged within the hub and engaging the inner ends of the spokes, and ascrew mounted on the main section and engaging the ring, substantiallyas described.

6. A device of the class described comprising a main section havingannular anges ll and l5, the ange 15 being threaded, and provided with athreaded perforation, an expansible ring fitting between the saidlianges, a screw mounted in the threaded perforation and engaging thering, and a removable section having interior screw-threads to engagethose of the flange, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM F. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL PEABODY, J. S. PENNINGTON.

